Back to School

Millie has been back to school for two weeks now.  So far, she's loving it!  She is in Mrs. Lea's class this year, along with her bestie from last year, Hadleigh (aka Hads).  Mrs. Lea is very strict and very organized.  I think Mills will like the structure.

There was a bit of a mixup when I went to parent orientation and Millie didn't get the teacher I requested.  There were tears.  I felt it was so important for Millie to be ready for kindergarten next year, since she is the youngest in the class.  She needed Mrs. Lea.  So now she's in Mrs. Lea's class.  The new principal was very understanding about all of it.  I need to bake her a cake.

Note to future Millie:  you can't demand that you get what you want all of the time, especially at your kid's school.  The teachers may subconsciously take it out on your kids.  I only did this for you because I felt it was really important.  And take the teachers cookies often ;)

Night before school tradition...painting the nails.  This was Syd's first time to have her nails painted.  Look at her little precious chubby fingers.

First day of Pre-K!

Syd's meet-the-teacher day went well.  She has Mrs. Amanda this year and is in the same classroom as last year, so I think she feels comfortable.  Tate's in her class too, which helps.

Millie started a week before Syd.  This is the first day they got to go together.

Millie is the best at helping Syd.  She loves parading her around and showing her off.  It's hilarious, yet makes me so proud.

Day one:  I tried to send her to school without a paci.  I sent her this little blankie from home.  Ultimate fail.  The teacher said she wouldn't lay down at nap and kept asking for her paci.  In hindsight, it was a ridiculous move since we still use them for nap time at home.  I was hoping to start the weaning process.  However, day two didn't go any better, even though I actually sent the paci.  She's used to sleeping in her crib at home.  I think the nap mat business is messing her up.  She's been a bit of a tired mess lately.

This is the note that was sent home the first day.  I kept it out for 3 days looking at it.  Now it's on the fridge.  I love that she asked about me a lot.  Momma's girl <3

Syd also got to start her Little Gym class this week.  She was so excited...and so sweaty.

It's good to be back in the swing of things...

Millie's News!

Great news for Millie this week:  the little hole in her heart has closed up!  We've been seeing a cardiologist for the past four years, even though it wasn't technically a dangerous defect.  It was just a small hole that they said may or may not close up.  Well...it did!  I know it wouldn't have ever affected her being able to play sports or prevent her from doing things, and the doctors assured us it would never get bigger...but it is still such a relief to hear that it is gone.  We celebrated by taking her to the "chips place".  She wasn't really sure what we were celebrating. ;)

Our Little Gymnast

Millie started gymnastics in August.  I feel like we only have time for one extracurricular activity per child, so I gave Mills a choice: dance or gymnastics.  I asked her every day for a month.  She always chose gymnastics because she so badly wants to learn how to do a cartwheel.  Thus, our big girl started gymnastics at Hopes and Dreams.  Isn't that the best name ever?!  I need to find Mills a leotard with a unicorn on it.

I wasn't sure what they were supposed to wear there.  The first day I sent her in this.  Fail.  BTW, she was sort of pissed that she couldn't do a cartwheel on her own by the time we left there.  That's our girl.

EVERYONE in the building wears a leotard, so the next week Mills got to pick one out.  She picked blue velour, which was a bit strange since a pink one was right next to it.  

Pretty cute, huh??  She's been working on her posing. ;)  Video: Mills first gymnastics class

It's been a bit of a struggle for Syd.  She soooo badly wants to go out there with Mills.  It never occurred to me that she would care.  She's usually so good about these things.  I guess now that she's getting older, she wants to go with the big girls.  Poor Piddy.  She starts back at Little Gym this week though.  In the meantime, the iPad saves our life.  Check out how well she's doing with her the iPad games...Video: Piddy plays the Pad  I love listening to her talk.  Speaking of...this has nothing to do with gymnastics, but this video might just be the funniest thing of this summer.  There was a good two weeks that they both had diarrhea from some stomach bug.  It was the talk of the house for awhile.  Ugh.  Video: Syd took her diarrhea

End of Summer Fun

This summer was the best yet.  It was the first year I didn't have a baby, so we got to do tons of cool things!  I'm kind of sad school is already here...we were having a blast.

We went camping a few times.  In July, we "camped" at Wanderlust in Eureka Springs.  Turns out it wasn't really camping, but it turned into such a fun weekend riding the trolley downtown and swimming in the pool.  Video: Wanderlust camping trip  (I love this Clipper app, thanks Rach!)

We spent so much time at the pool this summer, and the girls both made great strides.  Those puddle jumper floaties are the best invention of this century.  Syd loves to just float around, kicking her legs.
Millie now does cannonballs and slides and swims all over with her face under water (as long as she has her goggles on).  This is huge.  At the beginning of the summer, she wouldn't even get her face wet.  Video: Mills going down the slide at the Devil's Den campground two weekends ago.

s'mores education

Devil's Den was really fun for the girls.  So much to do down there.  No cell phone reception either.  Great family time!

canoeing with daddy

paddle-boating with piddy...she was almost asleep behind those glasses

you can't really see the friendly squirrel, but we had fun feeding him trail mix

morning hike with my girls

We attended the annual Tontitown Grape Festival.  Great kiddie rides for the girls.  Our brave girl rode the ferris wheel with daddy.  And corn dogs too!  Video: grape festival 

carousel

KK turned 36 this month.  I have gray hair now.  Wah wahhhh

Papa came out for a day to help celebrate my bday.  He made delicious food, of course.  The girls LOVE having him here.  Syd was especially attached this time.

It was about 1,000 degrees that day...ice cream helped.

My birthday date - we went to Crystal Bridges to see the new Warhol/Wyeth exhibit.  Loved our funky little museum here.

The week before school started, we organized a pool party.  It was so fun!  All of our best buds came: Tate, Finley (not pictured), Beckham, Syd, Mills, Hadley, Anniston, Elle (forefront)...also our neighbors Asher and Esme (not pictured).

Syd and Tate <3  these chubby blonde babies are only two days apart and are in the same MDO class this year!

Elle's pointing her toes, of course!  Millie was annoyed to have to take time out for pics.

We love our little neighbors!  Esme and Syd enjoying watermelon pops...awesome idea.

Oh Fin...sweetest girl around.  I made chocolate covered pretzel rods and the kids were thrilled!

Another fun outing before school started was to the Amazeum.  It's our new children's museum.  This was our first time.  There was so much to do, we didn't even get to all of it!

We've had a hundred popsicles this summer!

And about fifty ice cream cones. ;)

Pretty much the best summer ever.

Back to school now...ready for pumpkin patches and Halloween!